Automatic switch.



No. 733,822. 'PATENTED JULY 14, 1903'.

H. H. DOLL. AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 29, 1902.

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UNITED STATES Patented July 14, 1903.

PATENT OFFICE.

AUTOMATIC SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 733,822, dated July 14, 1903. Application filed September 29, 1902- Serial No. 125,270 (N0 mode To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HORACE H. DoLL,a citizen of the United States, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Philadelphia and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in.Automatic' Switches; and I do declare the following who a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain improvements in the railroad-switch described in Patent No. 703,561, dated July 1, 1902, and issued to M. H. Bostian and myself: The switch is of that class designed to be operated from an approaching car and which is locked in position during the travel of the car or cars over the switch and then automatically returned to the original position after the car or cars have left the same.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of an automatic switch constructed and arranged in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of aportion of the same. tail view of the hand-lever, the T-shaped 1ever, and its connections which embody my improvements. The dotted lines represent the position of the parts when the hand-lever is moved to operate the switch-points without affecting the levers C, 0 C or 0 Fig. 4 is an elevation of a car-truck carrying switchoperating shoes in accordance with the in vention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings,the letter A denotes an-open main track,

the rails of a side leading to the switch. On

the ties at the sides of the rails are secured plates at a a a arranged in pairs, the plates On these C 0, having curved faces close to the outer edges of the rails for contact with the switching-shoes B, carried by the trucks 0. The trucks 0 or, as the case may be, the forward end of the engine orthe platform'of thecar' are provided with the shoes B, having shanks a, guided insuitable vertical bearings on the cars and normally held in an elevated posi-' tion by springs a or any equivalent means, their depression to operative position being Fig. 3 is an enlarged de-' the usual type, and both are secured to a transverse bar N, the. movement of which clears eitherthe main-line or the siding rails. This bar N is secured at one end to a T- shaped lever K, fulcrumed at the center of its three arms to a base-plate 0c. The main arm is of this lever is adapted to be engaged by the lower end of a hand-lever J, pivoted to a bracket 50 upon the base ai. Upon the operation of the lever J the T-shaped lever K will be forced to the dotted-line position, as illustrated in Fig. 3, for a purpose hereinafter described. The lever K is also operated upon by a spring is, so as to keep it in the position shown in Fig. l, the spring being guided by a bolt Z, connected to a bracket N upon the basem, said bracket being adjustable on said base-plate to increase or decrease the pressure of the spring.

Extending from the lever C to the arm 1c of the lever K are a series of levers and con necting-bars consisting of the pivoted bell-crank lever D, the similar lever F, the rod E, connecting the same, the rod G, connecting one arm of the lever F, and an arm of the pivoted bell-crank lever H, the other arm h of which is provided with a bent end adapted to engage one arm of a pivoted bell-crank lever I, the other arm of which is connected to the arm 10 by a rod or link I It will thus be noticed that owing tothe arrangement of the levers H and I, I have a loose connection be-' tweenitheleverKand thelever O,fora purpose hereinafter described, while in the Patent No.. 703,561 the connection between the two said levers is positive. The arrangement of these levers when the parts are in the normal position, as seen in Fig.1, is such that when the shoe B on the on-curving car presses against the lever G the lever K will be moved against the action of the springL to move the bar N to open the switch to the siding-rails. The lever O is connected to the rod G through the medium of the bell-crank lever of which has pivoted to it the connecting'rod G which is provided with a pin g upon its opposite end. The said pin is adapted to engage and slide in. the slotted end of the connecting-rod I which has its opposite end pivoted to the arm of the lever K. It will thus be seen that owing to this pin-and-slot connection between the rods G and I I have a loose connection between the lever K and the lever C while in the before-mentioned patent the connection is positive. The lever C is connected to the lever K by means of the bell-crank lever F the lever B, and the connecting-rod E The operation of these parts when the parts are seen in Fig. 1 is such that when either of the levers O or G is operated the lever K will be operated against the tension of the spring K.

Owing to the loose connections between the two sets of levers G G and C? O and the lever K, it will be noticed that either set may be operated independently of the other to move the lever Kthat is to say, when a car with its shoe B depressed approaches one or the other of the sets of levers G C and C C only that set which the car first approaches will operate, while the other set will remain quiet. When either of the levers 0, C C or C is operated, the lever K will be moved from the position shown in Fig. 1 to change i move away from the arm h of the lever H and the hinge will ride up in the slot g as the link 1 is forced over. When said lever is not in use, it may be swung to a horizontal position, as seen in Fig. 1, and looked under the bracket 03 The switch-bar N is secured to or formed integral with a bar N having its outer end guided in a frame R, provided with openings for the reception of locking-pins s, which may enter into a suitable opening in the bar N and lock the same to keep the switch either open or closed during the passage of a car or cars. This locking-rail U extends parallel with and outside of the curved rail of the siding from points opposite the levers 0 0 its upper edge being a trifle above the level of the load-rail, so that it may be acted upon by the wheels. The rail U has pins or trunnions W, adapted to coact with curved slots 10 in plates V, secured to permanent bases, and this rail is connected by a lug '1, rod 0 bell-crank lever P, and rod 0 to the one arm of the main operating-lever K, the connection being such that the locking-rail is moved backward or forward at each movement of the switch-lever.

To the lugs V V on the locking-rail are pivoted arms Z Z respectively forming universal joints for the attachment of the spring locking-pins s, the movement of the rail withdrawing one or the other of such pins from engagement with the bar N The operation of the device is as follows: If the parts be in the normal position, as in Fig. 1, with the main-line rails open, and a car or train approaching on the main line wishes to take the siding or a car or train on the siding wishes to take the main line, the engineer or motorman depresses the shoe B. This shoe then comes into contact with one or the other of the levers of the two pairs 0 C or O G and through the intervening levers previously described operates one set I only to move the lever K and switch-bar N to open the switch to the siding, while the other set remains quiet. This movement also shifts the locking-rail and causes one or the other of the pins .9 to lock the switch in the position to which it is adjusted. The car or train then enters upon and depresses the locking-rail, holding the same in its locking position until the last wheel of the car or train has left it. The spring K then acts to cause all the parts to reassn me their normal positions, leaving the main line again open for traffic. By means of the hand-lever J the switch-points may be operated by hand and without the operation of any of the levers G, 0 C or 0 as previously described.

The device is admirably adapted for streetrailways, and especially electrical railways in rural districts,where single lines are used and cars must pass each other on sidings; but it may be used in any capacity on street, electric, or steam railroads, as desired.

The invention may be modified in a variety of ways, and the number and arrangement of levers and operating devices increased or diminished, and the method of connecting same may be changed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thusdescribed my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In an automatic switch, the combination with the main and siding rails, switch-points movable between said rails, and a switch-bar connected to the switch-points, of a main operating-lever connected to said bar, two sets of operating-levers arranged alongside the main and siding rails for actuating the main operating-lever respectively from said rails, intermediate power transmitting levers, a hand-lever, and loose connection between said intermediate levers and the main operatinglever whereby said main operating-lever may be operated from the hand-lever or either of the operating-levers without afiecting any of the other operating-levers, substantially as described.

2. In an automatic switch, the combination with the main and siding rails, switch-points movable between said rails, and aswitch-bar connected to the switch-points, of a main opcrating-lever connected to said bar, two sets of operating-levers arranged alongside the main vand siding rails for actuating the main operating-lever respectively from said rails, intermediate power-transmitting levers connected to said two sets of operating-levers, operating-rods connected to the power-transmitting levers, and loose connection between said rods and, the main operating-lever, substantially as described.

3. In an automatic switch, the combination with the main and siding rails, switch-points movable between said rails, and a switch-bar connected to the switch-points, of a main operating-leverconnected to said bar, two sets of operating-levers arranged alongside the main and siding rails for actuating the main operating-lever respectively from said rails, intermediate power-transmitting levers connected to said two sets of operating-levers,

' operating-rods connected to the power-transmitting levers, and loose connections between said rods and the main operating-lever, and a pivoted hand-lever free from connection with but adapted to be engaged with the main operating-lever to throw the switch without afiecting the other levers, substantially as described.

4. In an automatic switch, the combination with the main and siding rails, switch-points movable between said rails, and a switch-bar connected to the switch-points, of a main operating-lever connected to said bar, two sets of operating levers arranged alongside the main and siding rails for actuating the main operating-lever respectively from said rails, an intermediate power transmitting lever connected to each set of operating-levers, opcrating-rods connected to the power-transmitting levers, and loose connection between 5. In an automatic switch, the combination with the main and siding rails, switch-points movable between said rails, and a switch-bar connected to the switch-points, of a main operating lever connected to said bar, two sets of operating-levers arranged alongside the main and siding rails for actuating the main operating-lever respectively-from said rails,

an intermediate power-transmitting lever connected to each set of operating-levers,-opcrating-rods connected to the power-transmitting levers, and loose connections between the rods and the main operating-lever, the loose connection of one rod consisting of a pin upon the rod engaging a slotted link connected to the main lever, and that of the other rod consisting of a pair of levers having engaging portions, one of said levers being pivoted to the rod and the other to the main lever, and a pivoted hand-lever free from connection with but adapted to be engaged with the main operating-lever to throw the switch without affecting the other levers, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

HORACE H. DOLL.

Witnesses:

MILTON M. SAssAMAN, LAURA H. SASSAMAN. 

